


Toby being Toby

by justdreaming88



Series: The Times They Are A-changin' [6]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 01:25:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16844356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justdreaming88/pseuds/justdreaming88
Summary: He might not always like the internet and social media but today he is pleased about the information at his finger tips, yet over and over again nothing changes, no casualty reports, no new updates.





	Toby being Toby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AGirlAndABeast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGirlAndABeast/gifts).



“We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news, a helicopter has been shot down in Nigeria the people onboard are believed to be employees of the Hollis Foundation. We are not yet able to report on injuries or if any organisation has claimed responsibility.”

Toby’s head jerks up at the news report and reaches for his phone. He checks the calendar for today and his notes C.J. and Danny in Nigeria and Cameroon - call when back on 21st. He takes a deep breath and then calls C.J.’s cell phone, and after an anguishing wait it goes straight to voice mail. “Hey C.J. give me a call as soon as you can. I heard the news about the helicopter and want to know you’re okay.”

For a while he feels helpless and lacking in information and resources, he longs to pick up the phone again and call Josh, to leverage his position as Chief of Staff to check if C.J. and Danny are involved in the helicopter crash but he can’t do that. Josh isn’t Chief of Staff anymore and Santos isn’t even in the White House. He might not always like the internet and social media but today he is pleased about the information at his finger tips, yet over and over again nothing changes, no casualty reports, no new updates. He sets one TV to CNN and the other to Al Jazeera, the low tones of both conflicting and filling his apartment as he refreshes news websites and repeatedly calls C.J.’s phone, getting voice mail every time. He stops leaving messages after the second time. Just calling and hoping she answers. He can’t shake the feeling of worry and the desperate need for more information.

Eventually, hours later than he would like to admit, he remembers someone he can call.

“Carol Fitzpatrick please, it’s Toby Ziegler.”

Toby is relieved when his call is put through and that he isn’t palmed off to her voice mail or to left a message with her assistant.

“Carol, what’s going on? I can’t get through to C.J. and I’ve been watching the news all day. Is she okay? Are she and Danny okay?”

He hears Carol take a shaky breath and fears the worst as she begins to answer his stream of questions.

“We’ve just received reports that Boko Haram is claiming responsibility, the news outlets will have it soon, C.J. is alive but hurt, she’s in hospital in Abuja, Danny and the six other Hollis staff died.” Her voice trails off and Toby can hear her trying to keep it together.

“I’ve been fighting to get information from the emergency services and our people on the ground. Danny wanted to go with her on this trip because he’s working on a new book, Izzy is staying with Danny’s sister Frances in Pasadena. I need to go and see them, I talked to Franny when we didn’t know anything but haven’t told her yet.”

Toby can imagine Carol’s expression, the paleness of her face, the shaking of her hands, he can almost hear the way she covers her mouth with a hand to stop her rambling.

“Carol, it’s okay. You should go and see Frances. I’ll get the next flight to Abuja. Send me the details of which hospital C.J. is in, and anything else you can. Can someone from the foundation meet me at the airport?”

“Yes. Thank you. I’ll get someone organised. Thank you Toby.”

***

Twenty-three hours after his phone call with Carol, Toby arrives at the airport in Abuja. Getting into the country without a visa is a matter of patience and fees but he manages it, and waiting for him in the pleasantly air-conditioned terminal is a Hollis Foundation polo shirt wearing employee, a sign saying “Ziegler” held loosely at his side. Zac greets Toby with relief and they drive across the city to the hospital. When he finally gains access to C.J.’s side, she’s sleeping restlessly, most visible areas of her body covered with plastered cuts and bruises. Her left arm is in a sling so Toby sits on her right and takes her hand.  
C.J. wakes at his touch, and the sound of his chair on the floor. For a moment she smiles at him, pleased to see him, then her eyes fill with tears and she murmurs “Danny’s dead.”

Toby nods, squeezing her hand, and not knowing what to say. He watches the tears trickle down her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry C.J.,” the words are filled with sadness and he hopes she knows it is not just a platitude, but he is struggling for words.

She can see that, and holds his hand even tighter. He leans toward, grabbing a tissue from the box next to her bed, and wipes the tears from her eyes and cheeks. He drops a soft kiss onto her forehead.  
“I’m here. It’s okay, you’re safe now. Sleep for a bit and we’ll talk again soon. I’m here.” He repeats the words, stroking her hand with his thumb, until she dozes off again, almost crying herself to sleep.

Whist C.J. sleeps, physical starts to heal, cries, and sleeps some more, Toby arranges all that he can. He talks to Frances, Danny’s sister; C.J.’s brothers and her niece Hogan; he talks to Andrea and his own kids; to Josh and Donna; Sam and Ainsley. Frank Hollis, Carol and the foundation staff on the ground arrange the repatriation of Danny’s body, and those of the Foundation staff, the mass descent of their friends and family to L.A. to support C.J. and Isabella, and his and C.J.’s flight home. Her broken arm and re-set dislocated shoulder making everything physically tricky. They manage it and it is all worth it for the bone crushing hug C.J. and Isabella share soon as mother and daughter are reunited at LAX.

Back in the Concanon’s home C.J. steels herself to talk to the funeral home Frank has arranged to confirm Danny’s wishes and the lawyer to organise the reading of his will whilst family is in town. C.J. insists on attending all of the funerals, Toby and Izzy refuse to let her go without them. 

During the week of funerals Toby takes over the running of the house, keeping C.J. and Izzy fed, in clean clothes and in bed even if they aren’t asleep. Toby isn’t sure how much C.J. sleeps, from the dark circles under her eyes and pale face he suspects that she is pretending whenever he checks on her. He gets to know Izzy from small details like toast preferences to the clear inheritance of both parents stubbornness and intellect. 

Toby doesn’t think of it all as replacing Danny but just as supporting his oldest friend in a way that no one else can. 

***

Four weeks later, with C.J.’s arm still in a cast, Toby joins C.J. and Izzy on their walk to school. Izzy has been anxious for days about returning, anxious out starting second grade, and anxious about what people would say about her daddy. She misses Danny all the time and needs frequent reassurance that C.J. will be there to meet her at the end of the day. Part of Izzy is afraid because the last time she was away from her parents, her dad died, but her mom and uncle Toby say that she has go to back to school. C.J. takes her into the classroom and has a quiet word with her teacher before kissing Izzy good-bye and again promising to meet her at the end of the day. Izzy watches C.J. and Toby walk away, and turns to the kindly smiling teacher Ms Watt who passes her some new coloured pencils, and tries to settle in for the day.

Toby feels almost as worried as C.J. about Izzy returning to school, but it’s the end of the summer break and they both know that she needs a return to routine. Since their return from Nigeria, Toby has stayed in the spare room, helping C.J. and Izzy keep going. Everyone came to Danny’s funeral but didn’t stay more than a day or two, C.J. was too grieved, too tired and too hurt, to deal with everyone, but Toby stayed. Toby took care of the grocery shopping, made sure they ate, and didn’t stay inside all day everyday. He took Izzy for walks on the beach, or to the playground, or see her aunt, normal things to reassure her that life would go on but that it was okay to cry for her dad, to miss him. Toby wasn’t offended when she grazed her knee and he had to carry her home, crying for her dad, and only C.J. could comfort her. He knows he’s not her father, but he also knows that he’s helping them carry on. Some days C.J. needs persuading to get out of bed, to get going, but as the bruises fade, and the hollowness in heart subsides to a constant dull ache, she returns to work and at the end of each day Toby is there at home, making them dinner, reading with Izzy, and holding C.J. as she cries.

At the end of Izzy’s first week back at school, over his now famous roast chicken dinner, Toby makes and surprising but welcome announcement.

“I have resigned from Columbia and accepted a job at UCLA. I would like you to help me find a house near by, and Andie and I have agreed that I’ll have Huck and Molly for Thanksgiving.”

“I’m glad you’re not going back to New York Uncle Toby,” Izzy says before going back to her potatoes.

C.J. smiles at Toby over the table and mouths the words “thank you”.

He doesn’t respond with words but briefly places his hands over his heart, then smiles at her as he asks them both, “have you seen any houses for sale near by? Molly wants me to buy something with a pool.”


End file.
